Important news from the American Heart Association… Dogs Help Fight Heart Disease? Studies Show Five Ways Pets Improve Your Health.

1 Apr

This month, there is good news and bad news. But, if you know how to look at it, even the bad news is good news. So, it

will be called “good news” and “better news.” First, the “good news.”

Everyone knows that being overweight is a health risk, but few understand how bad the risks actually are. Well, new research published April 29, 2013 in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) studied 6,502 men and what they found was astounding. These men were tracked for 33 years, from the age of 22 until 55. All were born in the same year: 1955.

Results: 48% of those classified as obese at the age of 22 were diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, blood clots in the legs or lungs, or had died before reaching age 55.

They were eight times more likely to develop diabetes as their normal weight peers, and four times more likely to get a potentially fatal blood clot (venous thromboembolism). They were also more than twice as likely to develop high blood pressure, have had a heart attack, or to have died.

The study concluded: “In this cohort of young men, obesity was strongly associated with adverse cardio metabolic events before 55 years of age, including venous thromboembolism. Compared with those of normal weight, young, obese men had an absolute risk increase for Type 2 Diabetes, cardiovascular morbidity or premature death of almost 30%.”

How Is This “Good News?”

Simple. Many people like to blame bad genes for their poor health. While we are a product of our genes, in MOST cases, we are not nearly as limited as most people may think.

The fact of the matter is, many, many, major diseases (like heart disease and diabetes) have more to do with actively keeping yourself healthy than your genes do.

Actively keeping yourself healthy means eating right, exercising, and reducing stress. Properly taking care of these three things can add a lot of years to a lot of lives. Not only that, it can add a lot of GOOD, PROSPEROUS, and HEALTHY years to a lot of lives.

Clearly, There Is A BIG Difference Between Being Alive and Living

It all starts with making the decision to do the right thing and then taking massive action… immediately.

Don’t “diet” starting next Monday. Make the decision to change your life habits for the rest of your life starting RIGHT NOW.

Now is the time. Throw out all the junk food. If you need nutritional help, call our office. Chiropractors have extensive training in nutrition and exercise. The chiropractic lifestyle is about achieving total health.

So, step away from the junk food. Clearly, a little effort now goes a long way.

Now For Some Of The “Better News”

I know you didn’t step away from the junk food just yet, so here’s something else that may help you achieve some great health benefits…

According to the American Heart Association, having a pet (particularly a dog), may reduce your risk of heart disease.

The statement was published online in the association’s journal Circulation: “Pet ownership, particularly dog ownership, is probably associated with a decreased risk of heart disease”, said Glenn N. Levine, M.D., Professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and chair of the committee that wrote the statement, after reviewing previous studies on the influence of pets.

The reason is unknown, but it is theorized that dog owners may engage in more physical activities, like walking.

In a study of more than 5,200 adults, dog owners engaged in more walking and physical activity than non-dog owners, and were 54 percent more likely to get the recommended level of physical activity.

Pet ownership may be associated with lower levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, and obesity. Pets may also have a positive effect on stress.

More research needs to be done, but it looks like owning a pet, particularly a dog, is probably good for your health.

Exercise Lowers Risk Of Breast Cancer

Past research has shown that exercise can lower a woman’s risk of breast cancer. Now, new research has a possible explanation…

According to data published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, changes in estrogen breakdown, or metabolism, may be one of the mechanisms by which aerobic exercise lowers a woman’s breast cancer risk.

According to the American Association for Cancer Research, “Observational studies suggest physical activity lowers breast cancer risk, but there are no clinical studies that explain the mechanism behind this,” said Mindy S. Kurzer, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of Minnesota in Saint Paul. “Ours is the first study to show that aerobic exercise influences the way our bodies break down estrogens to produce more of the ‘good’ metabolites that lower breast cancer risk.”

Not only is exercise good for heart health and diabetes, it is also good for reducing the risk of breast cancer. But you should not look at exercise, eating right, and stress reduction as a treatment for any disease or condition. Instead, know that you are helping your body function as close to its optimum potential as you possibly can.

When you do that, barring any serious genetic defect or accident, you will most likely live a long and healthy life.

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THIS is one of the best things you can do to improve your health.

31 Mar

A new study sheds light on one of the best things you can do to improve your health, and possibly avoid some of the leading causes of death in the United States (and the rest of the developed world). Global diabetes has more than doubled in the last 30 years. 25.8 million children and adults in the United States – 8.3% of the population – have diabetes. 7 million people have diabetes and do not know it because they are undiagnosed. 79 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE PRE-DIABETES!

In 2007, diabetes was listed as the underlying cause on 71,382 death certificates, and was listed as a contributing factor on an additional 160,022 death certificates. This means that diabetes contributed to a total of 231,404 deaths.

According to a report from the American Diabetes Association, the U.S. cost of diabetes grew to $245 billion in 2012. Now, a new study published in PLOS ONE reveals strong evidence that sugar (not other diet and lifestyle factors) is the primary cause of Type 2 diabetes. The study’s researchers from the University of California at San Francisco studied data on sugar intake and diabetes from 175 countries. The researchers found, “that every 150 kcal/person/day increase in sugar availability (about one can of soda/day) was associated with increased diabetes prevalence by 1.1%.”

The researchers went on to state: “The impact of sugar on diabetes was independent of sedentary behavior and alcohol use, and the effect was modified but not confounded by obesity or being overweight. Duration and degree of sugar exposure correlated significantly with diabetes prevalence in a dose-dependent manner, while declines in sugar exposure correlated with significant subsequent declines in Diabetes rates independently of other socioeconomic, dietary and obesity prevalence changes.”

In other words, if the results of this study are accurate, sugar is directly related to developing Type 2 diabetes and cutting back on sugar is directly responsible for improving Type 2 diabetes. Limiting the amount of sugar you eat might drastically change your health and your life.

You Can Enrich Your Life With Music, For A Second Or Third Time…

30 Mar

Mid-lifers often feel the need for “something new” in their lives. At age 55+, some buy a sports car, some move to another city, and some marry a person a few decades younger than them. But, putting music back into your life could be a more satisfying and less costly pursuit.

It doesn’t matter whether you had piano lessons at age nine or learned to play the guitar at age 20, revisiting music can bring remarkable benefits to you. If you’re like many others who tried it, going back to music now can be just the thing to make your sagging spirits joyful again.

You’ll need a teacher. You can find one at a music school, a community center, or a music store. You can try web-based programs, but an actual teacher may be a better fit for you. He or she will help you develop modern skills and pleasantly correct your mistakes.

Don’t attack the music. Slow down, not as in old age, but to ease the pace and help you focus. It’s good practice for your mind and a way to savor the sounds of the music. The scheduled and unscheduled practice time is not only good for your brain, as it reduces memory loss, but it’s good for keeping your fingers nimble and for reducing stress.

Don’t forget that the main reason to stay close to music, at any age, is to have fun!

How This Homeless Man “Paid It Forward” and Cashed In BIG TIME!

29 Mar

Society seems to prefer rewarding people who do “bad” things. Reality shows are filled with “stars” who don’t exactly follow the golden rule. In fact, most people have a very hard time believing something like karma can exist. Well, if you don’t believe in karma, you might after reading this incredible story. At the very least, you will know there are still some wonderful people left in the world.

Here’s the story: Billy Ray Harris was 55 and homeless. He had a regular spot on the street where he put out a cup for donations.

Sarah Darling walked by Harris and wanted to help. She reached in her change purse and put a handful of change into his cup. It wasn’t much, but every bit helps…

Later that day, Harris got on his bike to leave and dumped the change into his hand, but there was not only change. There was something else. Something shiny. A ring.

Harris didn’t think much of it. It was probably some cheap costume jewelry. Knock-offs and fakes were all over the streets, but he wasn’t sure, so he took it to be appraised.

That’s when things changed, and changed fast. The appraiser took a look at the ring and immediately offered him $4,000.00 cash. Harris was broke and tempted, but his grandfather didn’t raise a crook.

So he kept the ring and went back to his regular spot on the street and waited. It wasn’t long before Sarah appeared and Harris presented her with the ring.

Sarah said it was a tremendous loss when she thought the ring was gone. She told Harris she was eternally grateful to him. She didn’t think in a million years she would ever see that ring again.

But that’s just the beginning of the story. What happened next is nothing short of incredible…

The story of Harris giving the ring back went viral, and he became an internet sensation. Supporters started donating money to help Harris find a house to live in. In no time, $175,000.00 had been raised!

It has been said that whatever you give comes back ten-fold. Well, Harris turned down $4,000 to do the right thing and it turned into $175,000.

But it gets even better… Harris was able to get back in touch with his family that he hadn’t seen in 16 years. His younger sister saw the story about him and was able to find out where he was. After they spoke on the phone for over 90 minutes, Harris’ sister told him he could live with her. He always had a place with her.

Since then, Harris has been in touch with his three other siblings and the nieces and nephews he didn’t know he had.

Harris is now working for a Jazz band and living with a member of the band while he acquires the proper identification to open a bank account.

Here is a final “twist” to the story… Sarah Darling’s husband, Bill, is the person who launched the donation page for Harris, and they have become friends. Bill often has dinner with Harris and is helping him with his identification paperwork and getting his life straightened out.

Harris is planning a family reunion in Texas in July.

So does karma exist? That’s for you to decide. But one thing is clear. There are still wonderful people left in the world.

If You Sit At Work (Or Sit At All), You Might Want To Read This! Especially If You Keep Your Wallet Or Cell Phone In Your Back Pocket…

28 Mar

Everyone (at least everyone we know of) sits, but some people sit more than others.  For example, if you have an office job, there is a very good chance you sit for the majority of your day.  Even though sitting has been associated with low back pain (LBP) by many, research has shown that “sitting alone was not associated with the risk of developing LBP.”

But (and this is a very big BUT) sitting combined with either “whole body vibration” WBV or awkward postures did increase LBP.  In fact, according to the study, “when the co-exposure factors of WBV and awkward postures were added to the analysis, the risk of LBP increased fourfold. The risk effect of prolonged sitting increased significantly when the factors of WBV and awkward postures were combined. Sitting by itself does not increase the risk of LBP. However, sitting for more than half a workday, in combination with WBV and/or awkward postures, does increase the likelihood of having LBP and/or sciatica, and it is the combination of those risk factors which leads to the greatest increase in LBP.”

Helicopter pilots showed the strongest association between WBV and LBP.  Clearly, truck drivers, heavy machinery operators, etc. can be at risk as well.

Here is something important:  Many people create their own “awkward posture,” even if they have an ergonomically designed work station and think their posture is perfect.  They ruin everything simply by keeping a big, fat wallet in their back pocket.  In fact, the wallet does not even have to be that fat to have a negative effect.  Nowadays, we see a lot of people suffering because they keep their cell phone in their back pocket and sit on it. You see, when you sit on a wallet or cell phone, it un-levels your pelvis, which then un-levels your entire spine.  This will cause abnormal stress and strain throughout your entire spine, muscular and nervous system.  It can cause LBP, mid-back pain, neck pain, sciatica, headaches and more.

This is a major reason some people do not get the desired results from Chiropractic care.  No matter what the doctors do, if you sit on a wallet (or have other bad posture) all day, it will simply work against the treatments.  Many people do not see the connection between neck pain or headaches and sitting on a wallet or something else that is causing awkward posture. Advice:  Simply put your wallet (or anything else like a cell phone) in your front pockets.  Plus, you won’t break your cell phone as much.

How These Two $5,000 Birds Can Help Your Back and Neck Pain.

27 Mar

If you would like to know how two $5,000 birds can help your back and neck pain, you are going to love this story.

Here is why,  there is a very successful business man who grew up extremely poor.  His mother made many sacrifices for him as a child so he could get an education and become the huge success he is today.

Now that he is making a lot of money, he likes to buy his mother lavish gifts.

But after several years, he ran out of gift ideas… until he walked into an exotic pet store.

In the pet store, he discovered a pair of birds that were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.  They were beautiful.  They could talk, sing, dance, and they could even walk a dog!

Theses birds were extremely rare and cost $5,000 each, and were sold in pairs.  The business man spared no expense for his mother – he bought them without hesitation and had them shipped to her.

After a few days, the business man called his mother…

“Hey Mom… I love you… did you get the two birds?”

“Yup, they were great.”

“What?  They can talk, sing, dance, and even walk the dog!  They cost $5,000 apiece.  Please tell me you didn’t eat them!!!”

“If they could talk, they should have said something.”

We have told you this story/joke because there is a very important moral we thought you should know.  And the moral to this story is that too many people are just like those two birds.

They have an ache or a pain or a health problem… and they can talk… but they don’t tell a doctor!  This leads to people suffering when they do not have to, and the small easy-to-deal-with things become major health issues.  Too often, a little back or neck pain is ignored until you end up hunched over in serious pain.

If you or anyone you know has any aches or pains – SPEAK UP!  Give us a call and let us take care of it now… before you end up like those two $5,000 birds. 

 

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